Roll film camera



Nov. 12, 1940. BECKER ETAL 2,221,568

ROLL FILM CAMERA Filed oct. 27,b 19:57 4 sheets-sheet 1 4 v38 f 20 i221 40 11 v1 9 44\"\\ l ,4 a?? 3.9 I 1 36 Y?) '551 8 1 N 11 n 4 6' www@ 7"!*l \1 17 Z3 26 25 4.9 x/S 30' Nav. 12, 1940. I H, BECKER UAL 2,221,568

ROLL FILM CAMERA Filed OCT.. 27, 1937 4 Sheets-Shea*l 2 Nov. 12, 1940.A

H. BECKER ET AL ROLL FILM CAMERA 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 27. 1957 BYr mi/0 Nov. 12, 1940. H. BECKER Erm.

ROLL FILM CAMERA Filed Oo. 27, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l my gIZ/Z l@ f3 l? 28 25 4.9 j]

Il l

2 carries a tooth which engages ratchet 31 secured to the inside of a counting ring 33. It will be understood that when the cam plate 24 is rotated, Ithe eccentric groove actuates the pin 33 to oscillate the pawl 34 on its pivot 35 to cause the tooth 36 to advance the ratchet 31 and the counting yring 38 one tooth. 'Ihe counting ring is rotatably supponted on an outer circular flange 39 which rises from the camera top plate 21. A second inner and higher circular flange 40 supports and engages a number of rollers 4| which act as braking means between the stationary flange 40 and the rotatablewinding up knob 20 to prevent return movement of the latter. The aforesaid pawl 34 extends through `the flange 40 in a suitable cui; out. The flange is also recessed to provide space for the other pawl 25. I'he winding up knob 20 carries a Geneva stop movement 42 which engages a pin 43 in the bearing I9 to limit the winding movements of the springs in both directions as will be understood, see Fig. 4.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the springs 2| and 22 being secured to the knob 20 are wound up by rotation of said knob 20. The spring 22 in turn rotates the cam plate 24 and thereby the shaft 2. At the end of the winding up movement the cam plate 24 is held immovable by the pawl 25. During the winding up movement, the other pawl 34 operates the counting ring 38 to indicate the number of exposures. At this time the shutter has been rewound and the film advanced one picture length. The next exposure is made by operating the shutter release to open the shutter and at the same time operate parts of the rewinding mechanism to place the latter in condition for automatic rewinding of the shutter inmediately following the exposure.

When the shutterrelease l5 is depressed to uncouple the clutch members I0 and whereby to release the shutter in the usual manner it also depresses an arm 45, Fig. 5, which carries a stud 46. The releasing movement is to the right of Fig. 5. The latter tips down one end of a forked plate 41, Fig. 6, which is pivoted at 43, 4l to the top plate 21 of the camera. The right hand end of the plate 41, Fig. 6, carries two upstanding pins 49 and 50 which also appear in Fig. 2. When the stud 46 depresses one end of the plate 41, the other end with the two pins moves up.

The pin 49 has a bevelled head which engages thereof during the exposure. `A spring 44 keeps the plate 41 up against the stud 44.

When the operator lets go of the shutter release, the pins 4l and 50 drop. The cam plate is now completely released and is rotated, as is also the shaft 2, by the springs 2| and 22 to rewind the shutter and advance the film, the rclutch membes |0,- ,|I now being coupled. After half a revolution of the cam plate clockwise in Fig. 2, its nose 5| hits the pin 34 to release the pawl 25 from the spring 3|. The pawl is then ready to enter the notch or recess 28 and stop rotation of the cam plate and shaft 2 and the camera is now ready for the next Iexposure. The shaft 2 is provided with the usual spring 53 which prevents return movement of the shaft after it has boon wound up in the event that the spring winding mechanism is made inoperative.

In operation therefore, the springs 2| and 22 having been wound up, the spring winding mechanism is held inoperative by the pawl 25 which engages the cam plate 24. When the operator desires to take a picture the shutter release is depressed to disengage the clutch members Ill and so that the shutter may open in the usual manner and an exposure made. Simultaneously therewith the spring winding mechanism is released from the pawl 25 but also held by the pin 50. When the operator lets go of the shutter release the pin 50 drops, the cam plate is now released and the springs 2| and 22 act to rotate the shaft 2 whereby to wind up the shutter and the film. By longer exposures it may appen that the operator lets go of the release l5 before a long exposure is completed so that the automatic rewinding mechanism would commence premature operation. This apparent disadvantage is not of importance because the operator, after some experience, will not let go of the release before he hears the click which occurs when the second curtain snaps into finished shutter closed position after the exposure. On the other hand an automatic rewinding mechanism as herein disclosed is used mainly in connection with short exposures where one desires to take pictures in quick succession.

Figs. 7, 8 and 8 illustrate a device which may be incorporated in the winding up knob 20 for the purpose of operatively disconnecting the spring winding mechanism whenever desired. To this end there is connected to the knob 20 a coupling member 60 having a depending sleeve Il provided with openings 62. Two dogs 63, 43 are pivoted on the bearing plate I9 in swingable relation to the knob 20. Springs 64 urge the dogs through the openings 62 into engagement with teeth on the inside of the knob 2|). When the coupling member 64 is moved into one certain position, the dogs 63 engage the teeth 4I so that when thereafter the knob is rotated the entire spring winding mechanism is also rotated, that is it is operatively disconnected or uncoupled as in Fig. 9. When the coupling member is turned into a certain other position, the dogs are retracted as in Fig. 8 and the spring winding mechanism is then again operatively.r

connected to the camera.

Referring now -to Figs. 10, 11 and 12 parts which are similar to those already described have the same reference numbers. In this construction there is a difference in the operation of the shutter release Il. It will be seen by referring back to Fig. l that the release Il is moved down in one stroke to unclutch the clutch members Il and Il. the down stroke being limited by the arm 4I movable within the nipple 14. In Fig. 10 the downward movement of the shutter release Il is a two-step movement.

The gear 4, Fig. 11, carries a cam 1l which is adapted to move in under atongue 11 on the forked lever 41 Just before the end yof eachfrotation of the cam plate to tip lever 41 and thereby raise tnepin se into the pethiertnene Il whereby further rotation of the cam plate andthe rewinding mechanism is stopped and the latter is uncoupled from the shutter. When the release I3 is depressed the clutch'members II-II are unclutched and the shutter would ordinarily now open. But this is prevented by a mechanism arranged at the bottom of the curtains shaft l, Figs. 10 and 12. To said shaft there is secured a disk 1I having a tooth 'I2 adapted to be engaged by a pawl 1I pivoted at 14 on a lever 15. The right hand end of said lever engages the release shaft I3, Fig. 10, the left hand end is pivoted at a remote point, not shown. When therefore the release shaft I l is depressed, the said pawl lever 15 is tipped to move the pawl 13 down into the plane of rotation of the disk 12. The pawl engages the tooth 12 and prevents rotation of the curtains shaft 4 and prevents opening of the shutter. However, it will be noted from Fig. 12 that although the pawl 13 stops shutter opening rotation by the shaft 4, yet it does not prevent a very slight rotative movement of said shaft until the tooth 12 hits the pawl.

This slight movement of the shaft permits suiiicient movement of the first shutter ciu'tain to eliminate the overlapping of the curtain edges. Hence. when the shutter is released, the exposure opening is formed immediately upon such operation. It is also clear that because of this slight movement of the shaft 4, the train of gears I6, I1 and I8 have a slight advance movement before the shutter is opened by the operator. When now after this interruption the operator continues the depression of the release shaft I3, the pawl lever 15 is moved down still further to bring the pawl 13 below the tooth 12, the curtains shaft 4 is now free to move and the shutter opens for an exposure. By comparing the operation of the construction shown in Figs. 10-12 with that shown in Figs, 1-6 it will be seen that when the `release shaft I 3 is depressed in Fig. 1, the shutter is uncoupled from the rewinding mechanism and opened to make an exposure, and that the releasingoperation for exposure making purposes also involves the uncoupling of the pawl 25 from the cam plate 24- and the opening of the clutch I0--I I. In Fig. 10 these operations are effected separately by the cam 18 at the beginning of the unwinding movement and the complete release by the operator in order to make an exposure only involves the slight action of tipping the lever 15 in order to release the curtains shaft l. After the exposure the release shaft is moved up into normal position by the springs Il and Il, the clutch members IIl-II are clutched together, the forked lever 41 is tipped by the spring -44 so that the pin l0 is lowered away from the cam plateA nose BI and the rewinding mechanism now starts toA operate 'and rewinds the shutter. The object of the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 10-12 is to separate the direct shutter release action from the other adjacent mechanisms whereby to obtain a very smooth easyshutter release and elimination of the overlapping of the curtain edges.

Fig. 6 illustrates a release delaying mechanism consisting of a number of gears in mesh with the gear 8 on the winding shaft 2.

While the features of the invention have been illustrated in .separate views in the drawings, it will be understood that these featuresall form part of on-e invention and may all be incorporated into one structure.

It will further be noticed that the spring winding mechanism as incorporated into the camera mechanism is a very convenient embodiment and may readily be added to cameas not having this feature.

We claim:

LInarollfllmcam'erahavingafocalp e shutter and a shutter release held in normal shutter closed position. a shutter rewinding shaft and gears operatively connecting said shaft and shutter to rewind the shutter; an automatic rewinding mechanism for rotating said shaft after on the shutter release for actuating said member to cause the means thereon to operate as aforesaid when said release is operated, springs for returning the shutter release to normal position and for operating said member to release the said shaft for rotation by said rewinding springs and means for supporting said holding means within said hollow knob.

2. In a roll nlm camera having a focal plane shutter and a shutter release held in normal shutter closed position, a shutter rewinding shaft and gears operatively connecting said shaft and shutter for rewinding the shutter; an automatic rewinding mechanism for operating said rewinding shaft comprising a cam plate secured to the shaft, a hollow rewinding knob, rewinding springs secured to said hollow knob and said cam plate to rotate the latter and said shaft when said rewinding mechanism is released, a pawl engaging said cam plate to normally prevent rotation thereof by said springs, a pivoted lever normally operatively disconnected from. the rewinding mechanism, two pins on said lever, a stud on the shutter release to actuate said lever when the release is operated to move one of said pins into engagement with said pawl to release said cam plate and rewinding shaft for rotation after an exposure and to move the other of said pins into engagement with the cam plate to restrain the same from rotation during an exposure, means for operating said shutter release to release the shutter and for simultaneously 5c therewith moving said stud into engagement with said lever, springs for returning the shutter release and stud to normal positions and for oper-r ating said lever to release the cam plate and the rewinding shaft for rotation by said rewinding springs, the latter and the said cam plate and pawtl) being located wholly within said rewinding kno 3. In a roll nlm camera having a focal plane shutter and a shutter release held in normal shutter closed position, a shutter rewinding shaft and gears operatively connecting said shaft and shutter to rewind the shutter; an automatic rewinding mechanism for rotating said shaft after an exposure comprising a hollow rewinding 5 said shaft to restrain the same from rotation 1I direct shutter release action from the operations aforesaid and springs for returning the shutter release andy said member to normal positions to release the said shalt tor rotation by said rewinding springs.

HEIMUT BECKER. HEINRICH BROSCHKE. ERICH FIIBINGER. 

